PEDC 1989 – 2019 celebrating September 2019 30 Volume 27, Issue 9 The Terminal Post YEARS ▼ Newsletter of the Positive Earth Drivers Club, a nonprofit, all-marque British car club in Central New Jersey I STILL REMEMBER Important Dates the day I first saw to Remember my Glacier White 1974 MGB GT while • September 4: Monthly I was a passenger in meeting at Woody’s, my parents’ car. Farmingdale, NJ I had just received • September 6-8: Overnight my driver’s license, drive to Storm King, so I was constantly Mountainville, NY. on the lookout for my first vehicle. • September 11: BOTB For two years I rode goodie-bag stuffing party to high school in the back of my brother’s 1985 • September 14: Our 22nd Opel GT. All his Annual Brits on the Beach car show, Ocean Grove, NJ. friends had British sports cars: Austin- • September 19: Ice cream run Healeys, MGs, and I Lost That Loving Feeling to Smylie’s, Columbus, NJ. Triumphs, but when CRAIG COUTROS ♥ • September 26: Ice cream I saw that BGT in a run to Sweet Treats, dealership lot, Forked River, NJ. I yelled, “Stop the car!” Not only had I never seen one, but I also didn’t know What’s Inside anything about it mechanically. Even From the Driver’s Seat, 6 though it was built in From the Navigator’s Seat, 7 August 1973, with a 30th Anniversary Party, 9 model year 1974, August Meeting Minutes, 12 Lindsey’s New MGTC, 14 it still had chrome Welcome New Members, 15 bumpers. With less Mike’s Greenbriar Show,16 than 2,000 miles on Brits on the Beach Info, 19 it – for a price of Barry’s Colts Neck Rally, 20 $3,400 – I was 2019 Order Your PEDC Regalia, 22 driving it a few days 2019 Events Calendar, 23 later to high school Officers and Staff, 25 in my junior year. moving with several years of marriage, Before & After Classified Ads, 26 I drove it daily jobs in other states. my wife and I were The 1961 MGA Sponsor Ads, 27 through my college 1600 that Craig The BGT got tucked now caring for our The Last Word, 28 years and worked on bought in 1985, away in various family first child in February the birth year of it myself whenever garages for four years of 1985. While I was his daughter, I could, mainly since Stephanie, until I was able to bring driving around on I couldn’t afford to shown above. it home. the back roads of pay someone to do He vowed to Englishtown, NJ, restore it for her the work. I loved that where I lived, I was someday, and car enough to hang Feeling the Love his dream finally thinking about being came true in onto it even after Eleven years later with getting a truck and a steady job and three Continued on page 2 2019. Page 2 of 28 The Terminal Post Continued from page 1 Restoration, My Way sealed in plastic bags, and finally a father. I got that Since I had minimal boxed by cate- loving feeling again. money to do anything, gory. I don’t I started dismantling the remember much There it was sitting in car piece by piece. This is from the pro- a field surrounded by when I discovered the cess, aside from weeds up to the original black color under spending hours windows, saplings the faded yellow. It had a into the nights growing through the cool gray racing stripe progressing box holes in the floor. from front to back, a by box. I do After speaking with cracked steering wheel remember lifting the owner, I was back held together with string, the engine and within the hour with black vinyl seat covers trans out under $500 and a trailer. over the original tan, a tree limb with and exposed wiring The cockpit in 1985, above, and in 2019, below. Note the After all, other than nifty string holding the steering wheel together in the original. a come-a-long buying diapers, what everywhere. Every bolt, and somehow else do you buy a washer, nut, and screw getting it into my three-week-old baby that didn’t snap off from of Rustoleum primer, and (along with small work shed. girl but a 1961 MGA rust got wire-wheeled two coats of black before hand drawings, 1600 rust bucket? clean to metal, two coats being tagged and labeled indicating position), Continued on page 3 The Terminal Post Page 3 of 28 Continued from page 2 Since I had experience taking apart my Briggs and Stratton 2.5 hp engine, I was somehow now qualified to completely take this MOWOG 1600 engine apart. I disassembled the carbs, generator, starter, distributor, and wiper motor. Then I cleaned and replaced what I could with rebuild kits. I took apart the engine and took it to a machine shop for whatever they do, then reassembled it, following the workshop manual procedures. I replaced all worn parts. I completely took apart the trans- The full restoration, a labor of love. mission and put in new synchros and anything else the book recom- children were finished want to drive the MGA he’s ready to sell. mended. Then the next with college. In 2012 in my wedding.” No challenge was the wiring I made the commit- pressure, right? After Enter the Garage Squad harness. I identified each ment to blast-clean the accepting the fact that On my daughter’s wedding wire gauge, color, tracer frame and body and it wasn’t going to day, in October 2017, Ziggy color, and terminals. start the full restora- happen, I thought I was at the house to pick up I then placed my order, tion. Within months would inquire at the my daughter and me and drive by the foot, with Rhode I dropped in the engine next PEDC monthly us to the church. I showed him Island Wiring and then and trans onto the meeting if I could find a my stalled project. Another matched up from the assembled rolling frame sedan – preferably a year passed and I was sitting original where each wire and attached the British one – to rent. As with him at the November went. After I soldered all restored body. I chip- fate would have it, I was 2018 PEDC monthly meeting the terminals back on, ped away, attaching sitting with Zig Panek, when he said, “You should I sent the taped harness loose pieces box by the only person I knew contact the Garage Squad back to RIW for braiding box. That’s when it longer than one members – they could help with original pattern happened – I lost that meeting, telling him my you with your car.” So at the material. The frame and loving feeling. For 5 dilemma for the next monthly meeting I did suspension were wire years I looked at that wedding. It just so just that. brushed, painted, and car every day, feeling happened that on that assembled. Somehow, helpless and having the stormy, rainy Septem- After the following November after two moves, I was still sporadic motivation of ber meeting night, Zig PEDC tech session in able to bring all the boxes PEDC meetings, tech had his dove gray with Farmingdale, John Quelch, and pieces to my current sessions, or car shows. red leather interior Bob Canfield, and Paul residence in 2001. These never lasted Jaguar Mark IV sedan Johnson followed me back to more than a few days at with him. One look at my house. All I wanted was most. My little girl, now that car and it was a some motivation and Getting Serious 32 years old, came to done deal. My daughter Things stalled for guidance. me and said, “Dad, I’m loved it. I still want first 11 years until my two getting married, and I right of refusal when Continued on page 4 Page 4 of 28 The Terminal Post Daughter Stephanie, circa 1990, stands inside the frame, left. Continued from page 3 I can still see the expression on their faces, offering to help. The original engine as They scheduled a first- received in 1985, right, and day session to come below, after restoration. back and start work. That was all I needed for motivation. I sent out my gauges to Nisonger Instruments, installed the wiper motor and gears, fuse box & regulator, assembled tail lights, and started hooking up the harness in preparation for my first Garage Squad visit. On a cold December 29th, the Garage Squad showed up with heaters for the first visit and helped me lift the car on jack stands. They also helped me finish front and rear brake installation. Rodney Ford tackled the leaking brake lines. Continued on page 5 The Terminal Post Page 5 of 28 Continued from page 4 pump installed, we got cockpit rail leather and On August 4th the Garage the engine to run for vinyl coverings. On another Squad made its fifth visit. The bulk of the day was 20 minutes per break-in day Paul helped me I needed help installing the spent reviewing what was recommendation. It was assemble both seats nose grill, car plaques, and not done, done incor- the craziest day so far. completely with the convertible top. With the rectly, and what needed The dash was dangling, beautiful honey tan leather Motor Vehicle requirement to be ordered. I started fuel was leaking, and the I chose for the interior, of having a convertible top attending some of the clutch was stuck to the which, by the way, looks installed and visible in the other Garage Squad flywheel so the gears fantastic with the unique photos, we lowered the car events over the coming would not shift.